Wrench



J. H. FONES.

WRENCH.

APPLiC TION FILED NOV. if) 1919.

1,362,687. I Patented Dec. 1920.

FIE.

.1. H. F'U/VE'S hal l} m VEA/TCH? UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. FONES, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH.

Application filed November 15, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. FoNEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in nut or pipe wrenches, the object of the invention being to provide a wrench of this character which will be compar'atively simple in construction, and which will be rapid and convenient in operation.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side View of the wrench; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the operating mechanism thereof; Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof; Fig. 1 is a broken longitudinal section of the movable jaw showing a modification of the invention; Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a fixed jaw formed integral with a handle 2, and 8 indicates a movable jaw formed integral with a sleeve 4 fitting snugly around said handle. Said sleeve 4 is formed with a recess 6 in which is contained a screw 7 engaging a rack 8 formed on the nearer edge of the handle. By turning said screw in said rack, the movable jaw can be adjusted with respect to the fixed jaw. Such adjustment, however, necessitates a slow movement of the movable jaw, and to move the movable jaw quickly upon the fixed jaw to bring it into a position approximating its final position, the screw is moved out of engagement with said rack. This movement is accomplished in either oftwo ways. In the first manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the screw has an oblong hole 9 therethrough, through which extends a shaft 12, screwed, as shown at 13, into the movable jaw, and the screw 7 is moved on said shaft out of engagement with said rack. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the screw 7 is fixed to a shaft 14 extending therethrough and said shaft 1 1 is movable in oblong recesses 15 in said movable jaw, carrying with it the screw 7 which is thus moved out of engagement with said rack.

In either case, the screw 7 is provided at Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Serial No. 338,143.

its ends with notches or recesses 16, which when the screw 7 is rightly turned, register with screw pins 17 screwed into the movable jaw on opposite sides of the recess 6. These pins positively hold the worm screw 7 in mesh with the rack 8 except when brought into registering relation with the notches 16. Springs 19 surround the shafts 12 or 14: and bear against the opposite ends of the screw 7, one of said springs bearing against the inner end of a recess 21 or 15, to contain the spring, and the other spring bearing against the head 23 of the screw. By the frictional resistance of said spring 19 against the screw 7 said screw 7 is prevented from being turned accidentally.

I claim 1. A. wrench comprising a jaw, a handle.

fixed thereto, and having a rack, a second jaw, a sleeve fixed thereto and slidable upon said handle, and having a recess, a worm screw in said recess, means for rotatably mounting said worm screw, said means being adapted to permit the screw to be shifted laterally with respect to the rack and cooperating pins and notches whereby the worm screw is positively held in mesh with the rack except when the pins are brought into registering relation with the notches when the worm screw may be moved out of mesh with said rack.

.2. A wrench comprising a jaw, a handle fixed thereto, and having a rack, a second jaw, a sleeve fixed thereto and slidable upon said handle, and having a recess, a worm screw in said recess having its screw portion terminating in spaced relation with the ends of its hub and each end of the hub having a notch, a shaft through said screw hub, said shaft being mounted to permit the screw to be moved into and out of engagement with the rack, and projections extending from opposite sides of the recess adapted to engage the periphery of the worm screw hub and positively hold the worm screw in mesh with the rack until by rotative movement thereof, the notches are brought into registering relation with said projections which permit the worm screw to be moved out of engagement with said rack.

3. A wrench comprising a jaw, a handle fixed thereto, and having a rack, a second jaw, a sleeve fixed thereto and slidable upon said handle, and having a recess, a worm screw in said recess of Which the screw portion terminates in spaced relation with the ends of its hub, a shaft through said worm screw, the screw being movable into and out of engagement with said rack, pins carried by said second aw on opposite sides of said recess; there being alined notches in the op- 10 posite ends of the hub of the worm screw adapted for receiving the respective pins when brought into registering relation therewith by rotative movement of the worm screw.

JOHN H. FONES. 

